How to Eat Fresh Figs

For most of my life, the only concept I had of figs was the packaged cookie. Dried, gooey, and sweet, figs were one of the rare fruits and vegetables that were foreign to me in their original form. I didn’t know what a real fig looked like, let alone how to eat fresh figs.

Oh, what I was missing. They were the food of the Gods for good reason. I have now been known to grab a handful of fresh figs from the fridge, a hunk of creamy Cambozola in the other hand, and proceed to stand in my kitchen alternating bite of fig with small bite of blue cheesy delight. Fresh figs are easy because they are naturally, sweetly delicious. At the height of their harvest, summertime figs are a truly unique treat. Best part? It’s a treat packed with super-good-for-you vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. So, go ahead. Take that bite of cheese. It’s a great source of calcium to pair with all of those vitamins.

While a plate of blue cheese and figs could entertain a crowd, as well, it’s fun to discover the other recipes for fresh figs. When you’re starting with such a premium ingredient (especially during the summer peak), recipes are really simple. It’s a delicate balance of highlighting this amazing fruit and bringing out even more of its natural sweetness and uniqueness with other high-quality ingredients. Enter fig and olive tapenade. Everyone’s had olive tapenade. You can find great versions now pre-packaged at many of your local stores. But, this twist on a classic is worth the extra effort. And, honestly. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is cleaning the food processor.

Backyard summer BBQ, tailgating party, or high-brow dinner party: everyone will love this dip. It is the perfect pairing with our Rosemarry Me and Sea Salt crackers. The crackers are made with sprouted barley, flax seed, and farro, making this decadent chip and dip pairing superfood central. Invest in premium olives to pair with the figs to elevate both ingredients to their peak of flavor. It’s a perfect excuse to go nuts at the Whole Foods olive bar. Double bonus: the freshness of the figs adds additional moisture than your standard tapenade. It lets you cut way back on the olive oil (we used just about 1 tablespoon): making this an even healthier delicious dip.

Olive and Fresh Fig Tapenade

Ingredients

1 cup of washed, whole figs (stems removed)

1 cup of mixed, pitted olives (green, stuffed, kalamata)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3″ sprig of fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Preparation

Give your fresh figs a good rinse and chop off the stemmed tops. Throw them in your food processor with a cup of your favorite mixed olives (drained). Add the leaves of your rosemary in there, too, discarding the woody stem. Drizzle the tablespoon of balsamic over the rest of the ingredients. Give it just a quick pulse or two to incorporate all of the ingredients. If possible, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube or opening of your food processer while pulsing the tapenade. If not, just go ahead and pour in the olive oil over your dip and pulse 5-6 times to bring the dip together.

Scoop it into a bowl and serve with Way Better Snacks rosemary crackers. If you’re feeling fancy, slice up an extra fig and tuck in a fresh sprig of rosemary for garnish.

That’s it. Seriously. I told you: cleaning the food processor is the hardest part of this recipe. (yay, dishwashers!)